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EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Proverbs 15:21

If someone is not wise, then foolish (evil) things attract him. This is like a traveller who chooses the wrong route for a journey. Some people love to do evil things. They gladly choose to do evil things.

A wise person does not make this mistake. He is careful to do the right things. He is like a traveller whose path is straight and direct. Evil things do not attract a wise person. A traveller on a straight road does not want to wander onto the wrong path. And a wise person never wants to do anything that is evil.

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See also Proverbs 15:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    i. e., The empty-hearted, rejoicing in folly, goes the wrong way; the man of understanding, rejoicing in wisdom, goes the right way....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 15 THE BETTER THINGS One can read through the proverbs recorded in this chapter and ask the question, What are the better things? A soft answer which turneth away wrath is better than grievou...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 15. This chapter makes no new departure. Proverbs concerning the moral government of the world again occupy the chief place. One (Proverbs 15:11) is noteworthy as showing an extended concepti...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WISDOM. Hebrew. _leb =_ "heart", put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Adjunct), App-6, for the knowledge it should possess. See note on Proverbs 1:2....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _wisdom_ Lit. HEART, as in Proverbs 11:12. _walketh uprightly_ Lit. MAKETH STRAIGHT HIS GOING. The parallelism consists in the contrast between the reckless "joy" with which the heartless fool revels...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 15:12-22 12. A scoffer loveth not to be reproved; He will not go unto the wise. 13. A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. 14. T...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. FOLLY (IS) JOY TO (HIM THAT IS) DESTITUTE OF WISDOM - (.) "Folly," i:e., sin. BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTAN...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    15:21 sense; (b-10) Strictly, 'heart.' see chs. 6.32; 11.12. walk. (c-18) Or 'walketh straight forwards,' or 'uprightly.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    RV 'maketh straight his going': i.e. acts straightforwardly....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. GRIEVOUS] i.e. annoying. 'If one pour in hot water let the other pour in cold.'...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FOLLY. — Shown in wasted opportunities, and the commission of evil (Proverbs 10:23), while the “man of understanding” directs his way in accordance with the will of God....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אִ֭וֶּלֶת שִׂמְחָ֣ה לַ חֲסַר ־לֵ֑ב וְ אִ֥ישׁ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 16 A PASSIONATE DISPOSITION "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but a grievous word stirreth up anger." In the LXX there is another clause inserted at the beginning.- Proverbs 15:1 "A meek t...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WORDS IN SEASON Proverbs 15:18-33 Learn to be slow to anger. This paragraph describes the even temper which is blessed to live with and blessed to die with. Temper is said to be nine-tenths of Christ...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 15:11. This is a simple method of drawing attention to God's perfect knowledge of all the deepest and hidden things. If that which is most full of mystery to us is perfectly known to Hi...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Fool. He thinks himself the most happy of mortals. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "the ways of the fools are senseless." (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. A wise son maketh a...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOLLY [IS] JOY TO [HIM THAT IS] DESTITUTE OF WISDOM,.... Or "that wants a heart" q, a wise and understanding one; by "folly" is meant sin, for all sin is folly; and that is very pleasing and joyous to...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Folly [is] joy to [him that is] destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. Ver. 21. _Folly is joy to him that is destitute of understanding._] _See Trapp on "_ Pro 10:23 _"_...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _A wise son_, &c. See the note on chap. 10:1, where we have the same proverb. _Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom _ He not only works wickedness, but takes pleasure in doing it; _but a m...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 21. FOLLY IS JOY TO HIM THAT IS DESTITUTE OF WISDOM, to him who lacks proper sense; BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING WALKETH UPRIGHTLY, going straight forward on the way of duty, permitting no foolishnes...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    DESTITUTE OF WISDOM: _ Heb._ void of heart...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    IS JOY; he doth not only work wickedness, but taketh pleasure in it. WALKETH UPRIGHTLY, Heb. _directeth_ or _maketh straight his going_, i.e. ordereth all his actions by the rule of God's word, and de...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 15:21 Folly H200 joy H8057 destitute H2638 discernment H3820 man H376 understanding H8394 walks H3212 (H8800

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MAN OF UNDERSTANDING OVERCOMES ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND ENJOYS A LIFE OF PLEASANTNESS WHILST THE FOOL CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCES TROUBLE (PROVERBS 15:14). This subsection is in an inclusio concernin...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Proverbs contrasting good and evil. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: The course of the wicked man is an abomination to God, neither is there any offering he can make to God that can be accepte...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 15:1. _A soft answer turneth away wrath._ It bows to the tempest, it names a mitigating circumstance, it gives a favourable turn to misconstruction, it proposes a better way. My father, said...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 15:21. WALKETH UPRIGHTLY, rather “goes straightforward.” _MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:21_ OPPOSITE TASTES I. JOY IS A REVEALER OF HUMAN CHARACTER. A stone cast into a l...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 15:1 A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH AWAY WRATH. Two things are here to be observed: an answer should be given—the injured person should not wrap himself in sullen silence; and that answer...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Fifteen. I love this first one here. A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). How oftentimes a person comes just raging and a soft answer turns away wrath. If...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ephesians 5:15; James 3:13; Job 28:28; Proverbs 10:23; Proverbs 11:12

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